1. Technical Field
This invention relates to improving performance management of a distributed computer system. More specifically, the invention relates to a feedback loop that invokes human knowledge for improving task recommendations for system management.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Information technology, hereinafter referred to as IT, concerns the aspect of managing and processing information. More specifically, IT addresses development, installation, and implementation of computer systems and related applications. IT systems support collection of information. As technology evolves and systems grow, IT systems grow in complexity, which leads to an increased challenge for management. A system administrator is a person employed to operate a computer system and network, such as an IT system. The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging and vary among organizations. In general, a system administrator is charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining servers, and planning for and responding to problems that arise in the system. Accordingly, a system administrator is responsible for ensuring that the IT system is running as efficiently as possible.
Systems management is the general area of IT that concerns configuring and managing computer resources, including network resources. In one embodiment, systems management includes data collection, monitoring, reporting configuration and analysis. For example, in a data center environment, system management may include inventory tracking and reporting, resource monitoring and provisioning, event and fault management, and configuration management. Tools are employed by administrators to orchestrate management of different components in the system and to increase productivity associated therewith. Some existing tools provide one or more recommendations to the administrator pertaining to tasks for improving system performance, including recommending changes to configuration settings. However, the existing tools fall short of addressing the entire system when making recommendations. In other words, existing tools make recommendations by evaluating a single component in the system without considering impact on other system components or the system as a whole. Additionally, existing tools do not make recommendations based upon feedback, either implicit or explicit, from an administrator.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool for management of an IT system that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. The tool will evolve at the same speed as the growth and complexity of the IT system, and will employ feedback from both the administrator and the information system. Accordingly, the tool will evaluate the system in its entirety, as well as the components that comprise the system.